Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many new staff have been hired to process applications from EU nationals under the proposed points-based immigration system.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long it will take to train staff in the proposed points-based immigration system.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to run a recruitment campaign to hire additional staff to work on the proposed points-based immigration system.

Kevin Foster: Planning for the implementation of the new UK points-based system includes ensuring all aspects of operational resourcing, recruitment and training are fully delivered.In UK Visas and Immigration, who will be delivering the new system operationally, there is a natural cycle of recruitment of caseworkers every year and this year the requirements of the new system have been factored in.Work is underway on this and is a specific strand project planning for the overall programme, and progress is reported weekly and monitored by the FBIS programme board which oversees the delivery of the new system.

Detention Centres: Coronavirus

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent cross-infection and (b) tackle transmission of covid-19 in (i) Yarl's Wood and (ii) other immigration removal centres.

Kevin Foster: We take the welfare of the detainees in our care very seriously. In line with Public Health England guidance, measures such as protective isolation are considered on a case by case basis to minimise the risk of COVID-19 spreading to vulnerable groups in the immigration detention estate. Further measures including shielding, single occupancy rooms and the cessation of social visits have been introduced in line with the Government direction on social distancing. In light of this, detainees have been provided with additional mobile phone credit to ensure they are able to contact friends and families while social visits have been stopped.Detainees arriving at an Immigration Removal Centre are medically assessed by a nurse within two hours of their arrival and are offered an appointment with a doctor within 24 hours. Detainees also have access to medical assistance whilst they are in an IRC.There are currently no cases of Covid-19 in IRCs. On 26 March, the High Court ruled that our approach to detention and Coronavirus was sensible, with the appropriate precautionary measures in place.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether immediate family members of people with a Tier 2 Visa working in the NHS will be given leave to remain if that person dies of covid-19.

Kevin Foster: The Home Secretary confirmed, in a letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 29 April, families of eligible frontline healthcare workers who sadly pass away due to contracting the COVID-19 virus, will be granted immediate Indefinite Leave to Remain free of charge.

Migrant Workers: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assurances her Department has provided to the families of frontline healthcare workers on their eligibility to remain in the UK during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kevin Foster: The Government has announced, for NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics, whose visa will expire before 1 October, we will extend their visa for 12 months. This offer also applies to their families. The extension is automatic and free of charge and those benefitting will not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.We keep all of our policies under review and are continuing to consider how we can best support our NHS and its staff.

Immigration Controls: Au Pairs

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of introducing a points based immigration system on the number of people entering the UK to work as au pairs from 2021.

Kevin Foster: The Government set out its plans for the UK’s future points-based immigration system on 19 February.As has been the case since 2008, the UK’s points-based immigration system will not offer a dedicated route for Au Pairs, but there are other immigration routes which will exist for people who may wish to take up these roles. For example, the UK operates youth mobility schemes with eight countries.

Immigration Controls: Personal Income

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to take steps to (a) support people applying to bring non-EEA partners into the country that are required to meet the Minimum Income Requirement but are facing financial difficulties as a result of the covid-19 outbreak and (b) protect the health of those applicants in the event that they continue to work during the covid-19 outbreak as a result of that requirement.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the covid-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the situation closely and take these exceptional circumstances into account. We may make further adjustments to requirements where necessary and appropriate.The minimum income requirement can be met in several ways in addition to or instead of income from employment or self-employment. For example, income from the couple’s investments, property rental or pension may also be taken into account, together with their cash savings.

Immigrants: Coronavirus

Mhairi Black: To ask the Secretary for the Home Department, if she will allow people who are able to work on their visa but have no access to public funds to be temporarily granted access to public funds for income during the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp: The Government has put in place a range of measures to support people affected by the covid-19 outbreak and we will continue to review the situation to consider if more can be done.The Home Office is working closely with other government departments to support people, including migrants with no recourse to public funds, through this crisis We are taking a compassionate and pragmatic approach to an unprecedented situation.Migrants with leave under the Family and Human Rights routes can apply to have the restriction lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application if there has been a change in their financial circumstances. The Home Office has recently digitised the application form to make sure it is accessible for those who need to remain at home, and I can assure you that the applications are being dealt with swiftly and compassionately.The Coronavirus job retention scheme, self-employment income support and statutory sick pay are not classed as public funds for immigration purposes. Contribution-based benefits are also not classed as public funds for immigration purposes. Additionally, measures we have brought forward such as rent and mortgage protections are not considered public funds and can be accessed by migrants with leave to remain.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to not deport family members of health care workers in the UK on Tier 2 visas who die of covid-19 as a result of their work.

Kevin Foster: The Home Secretary confirmed, in a letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 29 April, families of eligible frontline healthcare workers who sadly pass away due to contracting the COVID-19 virus, will be granted immediate Indefinite Leave to Remain free of charge.In the tragic circumstances suggested the dependents of the Tier 2 visa holder concerned would not have their leave curtailed or be removed from the UK.

British Nationality: Driving Offences

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for citizenship have been refused on the basis of a CD30 driving offence in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The latest information on citizenship decisions can be found in the UK Visas and Immigration Transparency Data:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/868079/citizenship-summary-dec-2019-tables.xlsx Table Cit_04 shows reasons for refusal. However, this only gives broad reasons for refusal. A case refused on the basis of a CD30 driving conviction would be within the ‘not of good character’ statistic along with many other aspects of good character.

Immigrants: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of covid-19 on people with no recourse to public funds.

Chris Philp: The Home Office is working closely with other government departments, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care to support people, including migrants with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), through this crisis. Departments are sharing what they are learning from other bodies and charities with each other to ensure we continue to take a compassionate and pragmatic approach to an unprecedented situation.Migrants with leave under the Family and Human Rights routes can apply to have the NRPF restriction lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application if there has been a change in their financial circumstances. The Home Office has recently digitised the application form to make sure it is accessible for those who need to remain at home, and applications are being dealt with swiftly and compassionately.Many of the wide-ranging Covid-19 measures the government has put in place are not public funds and therefore are available to migrants with NRPF. The Government has published advice and information about the support available to migrants living here, including where they are subject to NRPF. This information covers statutory sick pay, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-ukLocal authorities may also provide basic safety net support if it is established that there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question. The Government has provided more than £3.2 billion of funding to local authorities in England, and additional funding under the Barnett formula to the devolved administrations to enable them to respond to Covid-19 pressures across all the services they deliver, including services helping the most vulnerable.In addition, on the 8th April the Chancellor announced an additional £750m package of support for charities across the UK to ensure they can continue their vital work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Department for Education

Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Edenred's briefing of 18 May 2020, Delivering the free school meal voucher scheme: MP progress report, on what date he was made aware of the finding in that briefing that, Poor data which has been logged into the system by schools [has] result[ed] in c. 40,000 (3.5 per cent) hard email bounces; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that that issue is resolved.

Vicky Ford: Voucher codes are being processed through the national scheme and many thousands of families are redeeming them. Our national voucher scheme supplier, Edenred, has reported that over £110 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of the 27 May. We have been working closely with Edenred to improve the scheme, and the programme of developments has significantly increased the speed of access to the platforms, processing times for orders and distribution of valuable support to families.As part of this ongoing focus, over the weekend of 2 and 3 May, Edenred identified that a number of eCode emails had ‘hard bounced’, meaning that the eCode had not been delivered as schools had entered an incorrect email address for the parent or carer. On 7 May, Edenred contacted all schools affected to alert them and to provide guidance on how they could issue new eCodes to families. Edenred continue to engage with the relevant schools via telephone and to raise the subject in emails to schools.These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism: Coronavirus

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to help the tourism sector to reopen safely  after the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: We are regularly engaging with tourism stakeholders and are feeding into cross-Government discussions on how we can safely reopen the tourism sector. As part of the Government’s leisure and recreation taskforce, my Department has set up a Visitor Economy Working Group to specifically focus on the practicalities and guidelines for opening up the sector during the recovery period. We will issue further guidance shortly on our phased reopening approach, including which businesses could be covered in each phase and the timeframes involved.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit deductions for the over-payment of universal credit were made in (a) March and (b) and April 2020.

Will Quince: Holding answer received on 20 May 2020



The data for deductions in March and April 2020 is not yet available. From 3rd April 2020, deductions from Universal Credit for some government debt, such as Tax Credits, benefit overpayments and Social Fund Loans were suspended initially for 3 months with a review. This was done to ease the financial pressure of debt recovery on benefit claimants and to also allow Debt Management staff to be re-deployed to focus on the unprecedented volume of new claims received during the covid-19 outbreak.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Screening

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of people being tested for covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government has met the commitment to carry out 100,000 tests for COVID-19 every day by the end of April set out in the Government’s Testing Strategy and carried out over 122,000 tests on 30 April.On 27 May it was announced that COVID-19 testing was being extended in the United Kingdom to anyone with symptoms.Demand for testing may fluctuate daily but we expect overall to see it continue to increase.

Coronavirus: Screening

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the provision of testing for people experiencing symptoms of covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government has met the commitment to carry out 100,000 tests for COVID-19 every day by the end of April set out in the Government’s Testing Strategy and carried out over 122,000 tests on 30 April.On 27 May it was announced that COVID-19 testing was being extended in the United Kingdom to anyone with symptoms.Demand for testing may fluctuate daily but we expect overall to see it continue to increase.

Coronavirus: Children

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS charging exemption for testing and treatment for covid-19 covers paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, associated with covid-19 in children that have had a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test.

Edward Argar: Under the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015, as amended, overseas visitors are exempt from charge for the diagnostic test and treatment for COVID-19. Some overseas visitor children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome test negative for COVID-19, but are treated as being COVID-19 patients based on a clinical diagnosis, meaning that their parents will not be charged.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April to Question 35010 on Aviation: Coronavirus, how many inbound passengers were screened for covid-19 during the containment phase of the pandemic; and what steps were taken when passengers screened positively.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 18 May 2020



A form of enhanced monitoring was in place between 22 January – 12 March 2020 during the containment phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.Over the entire monitoring period 129 ill passengers were identified and 59 of this group were taken for further assessment by the National Health Service. Of the 59, none tested positive for COVID-19.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 220 to Question 35010 on Aviation: Coronavirus, if he will publish the scientific advice on which the decision to end targeted screening measures being carried out at UK airports for inbound passengers during the containment phase of the covid-19 pandemic was based.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 18 May 2020



The Government has published online statements and accompanying evidence which demonstrate how our understanding of COVID-19 has evolved as new data has emerged. This has included decisions on travel and screening. These statements are available online at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-responseThe Government considers advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) before adopting new policies and interventions in relation to COVID-19. SAGE relies on external science advice, including advice from expert groups and their papers. In the case of COVID-19, this includes the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG). The agendas and minutes of meetings of NERVTAG are available online at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/new-and-emerging-respiratory-virus-threats-advisory-group

NHS: Migrant Workers

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the immigration health surcharge on (a) the financial circumstances of non-EU migrants and their families working on the frontline of the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak and (b) staff retention in the NHS after the outbreak has ended.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 18 May 2020



The Department has made no such assessment.

Faculty: Coronavirus

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the data sharing agreement with Faculty Science Limited in relation to their work on the covid-19 data platform.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the data sharing agreement with Palantir Technologies UK in relation to their work on the covid-19 data platform.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the data protection impact assessment in respect of the work of Faculty Science Limited on the covid-19 data platform.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the data protection impact assessment in respect of the work of Palantir Technologies UK on the covid-19 data platform.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 18 May 2020



NHS England is the data controller for data processed in the NHS Data Store. It has engaged individual analysts from different tech companies under honorary contracts to assist with modelling data from the NHS Data Store, some of which are employees of Faculty.Palantir Technology UK is engaged by NHS England under contract as a data processor. As a data processor, the organisation does have access to the data but can only process it under instruction from NHS England. As such, a data sharing agreement is not required. The Data Protection Impact Assessment for the NHS Data Store is being published by NHS England in due course.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason covid-19 contact tracing volunteers are required to be registered with the UK Public Health Register; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of broadening eligibility for those volunteers to people with public health qualifications.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Contact tracing, as part of the NHS Test and Trace service, will be delivered by a mixture of health professionals and call handlers. Call handlers are not required to be registered with any professional body. Health professionals are required to have current registration with a relevant professional body given their role in supporting call handlers and engagement with the public with COVID-19 symptoms.

Coronavirus: Screening

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Roche antibody test will contribute to the Government strategy on easing the covid-19 lockdown.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Availability of reliable antibody tests are a major boost in the United Kingdom’s battle against COVID-19.While these tests cannot tell us if someone is ‘immune’ to the COVID-19 virus and as such, it is vital that we all continue to follow social distancing guidelines, antibody testing has a critical role to play in helping us to learn more about how the immune system responds to infection and how the virus has spread across the country.The UK Government is currently undertaking some of the biggest seroprevalence surveys in the world to gain answers to these critical scientific questions – and eventually, such studies could mean more of us are able to return to our normal lives with greater confidence that we will not infect – or be infected – by others.